Runner in Utah Canyon Stalked by Cougar

[TwiceHorn 31516]

Mama lion escorts runner away from cubs.

Edited October 12, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[Blotto 23560]

He seems to have followed the general advice of backing away slowly without turning and running, while also making noise. the only thing I might have tried differently is absolutely coating that bitch in the suddenly abundant fecal matter found in my britches. 

[TwiceHorn 31516]

Well, the good news for him is that she really wasn't very aggressive, just defensive.  If she had crouched low and started to run, that's when he would have known he was in trouble.

Also might not be a good idea to curse at teh big kitteh.

[Deej 76873]

Memories of Tangerine's.

[atomheartbevo 89770]

12 minutes ago, Blotto said:

He seems to have followed the general advice of backing away slowly without turning and running, while also making noise. the only thing I might have tried differently is absolutely coating that bitch in the suddenly abundant fecal matter found in my britches. 

That and the massive amount of rocks in the area.

[Deej 76873]

15 minutes ago, Blotto said:

He seems to have followed the general advice of backing away slowly without turning and running, while also making noise. 

Laser pointers work well with cats, too.

[Sawbonz 27580]

[Mach 1 1677]

I've been doing a lot of hiking in (possible) cougar country during the pandemic.  Going solo I carried a sharp stick with me in case of an encounter, thinking I could stab his ass when he jumped to attack.  Never encountered a cougar but I did cause a bunch of hikers walking the opposite way to move off the trail and look at me as if I might stab them with the stick.

[ztejas 43526]

Undefeated. 

[rage-a-holic 4429]

22 minutes ago, Mach 1 said:

I've been doing a lot of hiking in (possible) cougar country during the pandemic.  Going solo I carried a sharp stick with me in case of an encounter, thinking I could stab his ass when he jumped to attack.  Never encountered a cougar but I did cause a bunch of hikers walking the opposite way to move off the trail and look at me as if I might stab them with the stick.

next time...

 

[Chapo 104]

I would have started throwing rocks, would that have been a bad idea?

[elfenix 34331]

... and that's how i met south austin's mom

Edited October 13, 2020 by elfenix

[Mikey4 2476]

I would have started throwing rocks, would that have been a bad idea?

Throwing them is an excellent idea. That's what he does at the very end of the video. But bending down to pick them up is risky. He should have gotten a few when the cougar was further back.

[TwiceHorn 31516]

I wonder if that guy might have been better off just turning tail and running.

Generally, a mountain lion doesn't want to attack a human as prey.  We're too big.  But they might think about it if they're hunting, and particularly if they're starving or underfed.  And if you run like prey, you may become prey.

But she wasn't looking for prey, she wanted him to GTFO because of her cubs.  So kind of a different dynamic.

Edited October 13, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[FORTY NINE TO ZERO 2652]

Yeah. That was stressful to watch. 
 

knowing my luck I would have tripped over one of those huge rocks while walking backwards 

[washparkhorn 9939]

55 minutes ago, Mikey4 said:

But bending down to pick them up is risky.

facts.

Make yourself look BIG and dangerous. If a cat attacks, fight like hell. A mountain lion will not risk injury. 

With a bear, play dead if attacked. (if attacked by a bear in your tent, then you fight like hell).

The thing about mountain lions is you usually do not see them. Which can be creepy - especially if alone. 

 

Edited October 13, 2020 by washparkhorn

[TwiceHorn 31516]

6 minutes ago, washparkhorn said:

facts.

Make yourself look BIG and dangerous. If a cat attacks, fight like hell. A mountain lion will not risk injury. 

With a bear, play dead if attacked. (if attacked by a bear in your tent, then you fight like hell).

The thing about mountain lions is you usually do not see them. Which can be creepy - especially if alone. 

 

Yeah if you see any cat in the wild you can rest assured that it has seen you many times, or at least been watching you for a while.

[TexArcher 37997]

1 hour ago, Chapo said:

I would have started throwing rocks, would that have been a bad idea?

Same.  

As he's backing up I'm looking down at all those rocks about the size of baseballs.  

Of course that's easy for me to say on my couch.

Edited October 13, 2020 by TexArcher

[Rimbo 26028]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

I wonder if that guy might have been better off just turning tail and running.

Generally, a mountain lion doesn't want to attack a human as prey.  We're too big.  But they might think about it if they're hunting, and particularly if they're starving or underfed.  And if you run like prey, you may become prey.

But she wasn't looking for prey, she wanted him to GTFO because of her cubs.  So kind of a different dynamic.

If he had turned tail and ran, we wouldn't be talking about him in the present tense any more.

 

[Schulz2.0 29000]

49 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

If he had turned tail and ran, we wouldn't be talking about him in the present tense any more.

 

But I thought the best way to deal with a predator was by triggering the predatory response?

[elfenix 34331]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

Yeah if you see any cat in the wild you can rest assured that it has seen you many times, or at least been watching you for a while.

https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/hikers-cross-paths-mountain-lion-sequoia-national-park-49125508

[Bookman 4639]

Red Dead Redemption has taught me that a cougar will kill me and my horse very quickly.

[Lat22 4015]

He was never scared enough to put his phone down and maybe chunk a big fucking rock at it.  I like how he cussed at the cat told it that he was big and scary.  He was anything but big and scary. He needs to work on his assertive commands as well.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

There were a shit load of rocks along that trail. I'd think a few well placed missiles would have sent that cougar packing.  But damn that was some scary shit. At least he didn't try to run.

[Guest]

23 minutes ago, Lat22 said:

He was never scared enough to put his phone down and maybe chunk a big fucking rock at it.  I like how he cussed at the cat told it that he was big and scary.  He was anything but big and scary. He needs to work on his assertive commands as well.

 

Edited October 13, 2020 by slorch

[52-80 19213]

any wild animals chasing me gets the Arnold treatment

 

 

easy work

[Armybrat 40860]

I’d always carry one of these at the minimum while hiking in the back country:

 

[destroya 380]

8 hours ago, washparkhorn said:

facts.

Make yourself look BIG and dangerous. If a cat attacks, fight like hell. A mountain lion will not risk injury. 

With a bear, play dead if attacked. (if attacked by a bear in your tent, then you fight like hell).

The thing about mountain lions is you usually do not see them. Which can be creepy - especially if alone. 

 

It’s recommended to play dead with brown bears but fight like hell and DO NOT play dead with black bears. 

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

I’d always carry one of these at the minimum while hiking in the back country:

 

This.

Went hiking back in August in Colorado with cousins who live there and both of them carried .45s and had bear mace.

Granted, this dude is jogging, but predator doesn't discern the need for for lightweight activities.  Choose your environment a little mo' betta...

Edited October 13, 2020 by slorch

[closetohumping 17455]

48 minutes ago, destroya said:

It’s recommended to play dead with brown bears but fight like hell and DO NOT play dead with black bears. 

hmmm why is that?

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

Black bears rarely attack humans, but if they do they probably want to eat you. Brown bears are usually just being territorial or dicks or looking for human snacks instead of a human snack.

[smuggs 9353]

I carry a can of Aqua Net and a lighter at all times while exploring the backcountry.

[TwiceHorn 31516]

I have read a ton about cougar sightings.  Any outdoor forum has a couple of threads about them, linking news articles and recounting personal stories.

I can't recall ever seeing an encounter where the cubs were seen first (or at all), like this one, and the mature cougar was in protection mode.  She keeps looking back to make sure the cubs aren't following.  Seems she was mostly interested in getting the dude far enough away, as she seemed to break off on her own rather than as a result of anything he did.

Attacks are almost always correlated to a starving or diseased animal.

I suppose many sightings are because of nearby offspring where the mature animal wishes to make its presence known, but can't recall ever seeing one where the cougar pursued more than a few yards.

As cool as it may be, it seems that if you see baby/young cats, it's time to turn around and GTFO, or back up and GTFO.

[Armybrat 40860]

9 minutes ago, smuggs said:

I carry a can of Aqua Net and a lighter at all times while exploring the backcountry.

Did in California, did you? 😅

[BabaYaga 15303]

Meh, she just wanted to dance

[HiggyBaby 2545]

hmmm why is that?

Because otherwise they’ll think they are God’s gift to football and build a toilet bowl on the Brazos.

[BabaYaga 15303]

10 hours ago, Chapo said:

I would have started throwing rocks, would that have been a bad idea?

You wouldn't want to have to crouch down, giving the impression you are threatening or going to attach.  Nor would I want to duck down while walking backwards, you fall.....it's your ass.  She was bluffing.  Bluff back. 

[BabaYaga 15303]

29 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

I have read a ton about cougar sightings.  Any outdoor forum has a couple of threads about them, linking news articles and recounting personal stories.

I can't recall ever seeing an encounter where the cubs were seen first (or at all), like this one, and the mature cougar was in protection mode.  She keeps looking back to make sure the cubs aren't following.  Seems she was mostly interested in getting the dude far enough away, as she seemed to break off on her own rather than as a result of anything he did.

Attacks are almost always correlated to a starving or diseased animal.

I suppose many sightings are because of nearby offspring where the mature animal wishes to make its presence known, but can't recall ever seeing one where the cougar pursued more than a few yards.

As cool as it may be, it seems that if you see baby/young cats, it's time to turn around and GTFO, or back up and GTFO.

We had one at the ranch years back.  Found multiple half-covered deer kills that they semi bury to return to later.  Warden told me they'd been moving in.  Guy said he heard a scream at night.....turned his blood to ice.

Buddy's place near ours, but off the HWY, they killed a large female that was so old and unable to hunt, but lived solely off road kill.  

*and according to Steve Rinella, they taste AMAZING.  White meat, better than pork!

[GreenspointTexas 9662]

Why the fuck was he walking TOWARDS the cubs at the beginning of the video? Fucking idiot

[TwiceHorn 31516]

7 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Why the fuck was he walking TOWARDS the cubs at the beginning of the video? Fucking idiot

Yeah, that's a GTFO moment.  Can kind of understand the curiosity and wanting to see them, but that's a no from me dawg.

[Herpa Derpa 6127]

Everybody has a plan until a cougar jumps on their back.

[crash_davis 23114]

6 minutes ago, Herpa Derpa said:

Everybody has a plan until a cougar jumps on their back.

with or without strap-on?

[irishtexan 11522]

58 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Why the fuck was he walking TOWARDS the cubs at the beginning of the video? Fucking idiot

 

50 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Yeah, that's a GTFO moment.  Can kind of understand the curiosity and wanting to see them, but that's a no from me dawg.

I'm guessing he was far enough away to not know they were cougar cubs. It's not like you ever actually see cougar cubs in the wild. Especially from 30 yards away. He probably saw a small animal he didn't recognize and went to try to see what it was, only to have that "oh shit" moment when he did, in fact, realize what was going on.

[TwiceHorn 31516]

15 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

 

I'm guessing he was far enough away to not know they were cougar cubs. It's not like you ever actually see cougar cubs in the wild. Especially from 30 yards away. He probably saw a small animal he didn't recognize and went to try to see what it was, only to have that "oh shit" moment when he did, in fact, realize what was going on.

Yeah, that was what I meant by the curiosity thing.  He may have thought they were bobcats, which would be stupid given the obvious differences (namely the tail).

But the moral of the story seems to be that seeing mountain lion cubs is kind of a worst-case scenario, because mama is probably around and is not going to be pleased by your presence.

Edited October 13, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[Ted Dantzler 152]

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

We had one at the ranch years back.  Found multiple half-covered deer kills that they semi bury to return to later.  Warden told me they'd been moving in.  Guy said he heard a scream at night.....turned his blood to ice.

Buddy's place near ours, but off the HWY, they killed a large female that was so old and unable to hunt, but lived solely off road kill.  

*and according to Steve Rinella, they taste AMAZING.  White meat, better than pork!

Last year I was hunting pheasant in some CRP(tall native grass) in NW Kansas. I came to the top ridge of a V shaped gully and about 150 yards away a large cat that had been bedded down in the grass took off on a sprint through the grass away from me. I couldn't get a good enough look at it to actually confirm if it was a large bobcat or mountain lion but the coat looked solid light brown with no spots as it was running through the tall grasses. 

I watched it for a couple of minutes as it ran across another pasture, looked back then disappeared into a recently harvested corn field. My dog was blissfully unaware of the entire situation. 

More than likely it was a bobcat (game cams have shown some large bobcats in the area) but it definitely scared the shit out of me. 

[Ted Dantzler 152]

Yeah, that was what I meant by the curiosity thing.  He may have thought they were bobcats, which would be stupid given the obvious differences (namely the tail).
But the moral of the story seems to be that seeing mountain lion cubs is kind of a worst-case scenario, because mama is probably around and is not going to be pleased by your presence.

Not all bobcat's have bobbed tails

[TwiceHorn 31516]

3 minutes ago, Ted Dantzler said:

Last year I was hunting pheasant in some CRP(tall native grass) in NW Kansas. I came to the top ridge of a V shaped gully and about 150 yards away a large cat that had been bedded down in the grass took off on a sprint through the grass away from me. I couldn't get a good enough look at it to actually confirm if it was a large bobcat or mountain lion but the coat looked solid light brown with no spots as it was running through the tall grasses. 

I watched it for a couple of minutes as it ran across another pasture, looked back then disappeared into a recently harvested corn field. My dog was blissfully unaware of the entire situation. 

More than likely it was a bobcat (game cams have shown some large bobcats in the area) but it definitely scared the shit out of me. 

Bobcats have a good bit of white on their undersides, legs and tail.  If one runs away from you, they "flash" kind of like a whitetail.

[riloh05 107]

byu earning its mascot stripes.

[UTexasFight 9518]

3 hours ago, Armybrat said:

I’d always carry one of these at the minimum while hiking in the back country:

 

“But is it laser-sighted?”

-Rick Perry

[Rimbo 26028]

3 hours ago, destroya said:

It’s recommended to play dead with brown bears but fight like hell and DO NOT play dead with black bears. 

What I'd heard was to kick em in the butt, then run up a tree. If it runs up the tree and eats you, it's a black bear. If it knocks down the tree and eats you, it's a grizzly.